Case Study: Social Services Nonprofit
How a Lake County Nonprofit Improved Security and Reduced Costs
The Problem: Distracted from the Mission
For a social services nonprofit in Lake County, Ohio, every dollar and every hour needs to go toward their mission. However, their IT reality was draining both. Despite having a small staff, their systems were frequently unstable, forcing non-technical employees to waste hours fixing computer issues instead of helping residents. To make matters worse, they were paying disproportionately high costs for a previous provider that wasn't delivering results. They were trapped in a cycle of legacy hardware and budget constraints, desperately needing a partner who could stabilize their operations without breaking the bank.
The Plan
Monreal IT stepped in with a "right-sized" approach tailored specifically for the nonprofit sector. We understood that they didn't need expensive bells and whistles; they needed reliability and patience. Our plan focused on three key areas:
- "Kid Gloves" Support: We recognized that the staff was not technical. We established a support system that prioritized patience and clear communication, ensuring that employees felt guided, not talked down to.
- Stabilize and Secure: We immediately took over the daily operations to stop the constant crashes. We also improved their security posture to protect the sensitive data of the vulnerable populations they serve.
- Strategic Budgeting: Instead of demanding immediate, expensive overhauls, we created a hardware refresh roadmap that aligned with their nonprofit approval process and budget cycles.
The Success
The chaos of daily "break/fix" issues has been replaced by a stable, secure environment. By partnering with Monreal IT, the organization successfully cut costs while simultaneously increasing their security—a rare win-win for a nonprofit. We even implemented site-wide cameras to enhance safety for staff and residents, proving that infrastructure upgrades can deliver immediate quality-of-life improvements. The client now describes the relationship as a true partnership where the "messy environment" of the past is being cleaned up, allowing their team to focus entirely on serving the Lake County community.